York City Knights 19 Oldham 33: Knights miss out on bonus as they head for Scorpions climax

YORK City Knights dropped to fourth in Championship One after a 33-18 defeat to second-placed Oldham.

The result, which saw the Knights miss out on a bonus point, could prove crucial in the final reckoning as they are vying for third place and with it an advantageous run in the play-offs.

They have one game of the regular season to go, away to South Wales, and must win that match and hope other results go their way.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They got off to a bad start yesterday as Oldham winger John Gillam finished a fine move, Matty Ashe booting the first of his five conversions.

But the first half was nip and tuck, as York kept replying to Oldham tries with scores of their own.

Wayne Reittie got the hosts' first, from a neat kick by Danny Allan, and Jack Stearman powered through for their second, after Oldham had retaken the lead via veteran playmaker Neil Roden, who was a thorn in York's side throughout.

Another fine move by the visitors saw Paul O'Connor give them the lead again, with the Knights' response this time being a penalty on half-time by Danny Ratcliffe, to add to his two conversions. This made it 18-14 to Oldham.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

York were trying out a new-look side, with young Scott Woods at scrum-half, Allan being used as a creative loose-forward, and prop Ben Parkinson, the recent recruit from Leeds Rhinos, making his debut off the bench.

They seemed to be getting the upper hand after the break but, after another ex-Rhinos player, Luke Hardbottle, had a try disallowed, the tide swung back Oldham's way, with quickfire tries from Lucas Onyango and Gillam, with an 85-metre interception effort.

Roden added a drop goal and, although former Hunslet winger Reittie, who had been recalled, got his second try from a superb pass by Chris Thorman, Oldham had the last word with a penalty by Ashe.

York City Knights: Ratcliffe, Reittie, Mitchell, Esders, Wilson, Thorman, Woods, Freer, Lee, Benson, Ross, Hardbottle, Allan. Substitutes: Waterman, Duckworth, Parkinson, Stearman.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Oldham: O'Connor, Onyango, St Hilaire, Fogerty, Gillam, N. Roden, Ashe, Boults, M. Roden, Kerr, Heaton, Chandler, Bentley. Substitutes: Ellison, Clarke, Hodson, Whitmore.

Referee: P Brooke (RFU).

Widnes revived their Co-operative Championship play-off hopes with a 44-30 win over Toulouse in the south of France that lifted them to sixth place in the table.